Dan
Cherry’s MiG Victory and his F-4D

     As the North
Vietnamese offensive continued in the spring of 1972, it became apparent
to American Forces that the enemy had to be hit at his supply points. On
April 16, 1972, strike forces were sent to bomb uel depots, warehouses,
and truck parks in the vicinity of Haiphong and on the outskirts of Hanoi.
These were the first American raids into the Hanoi-Haiphong area since
President Johnson’s partial bombing halt had been announced on March 31,
1968. As anticipated, the enemy resisted ferociously, firing thousands of
rounds of antiaircraft artillery and about 200 surface-to-air missiles. In
the air war, MiG-21s met and engaged American strike aircraft. In the
pre-dawn darkness of April 16, 1972, four F-4 Phantoms of the 13th
Tactical Fighter Squadron roared off the runway at Udorn, Thailand,
enroute to North Vietnam. The 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing to which
the 13th TFS reports, launched a total of 20 Phantoms as part of FREEDOM
PORCH BRAVO. Two MiGs were destroyed by a MIGCAP F-4D flight assigned to
protect the strike aircraft.
     Capt. Frederick S. Olmsted, Jr., and his WSO,
Capt. Stuart W. Maas, were assigned to lead a four-ship MIGCAP that was to
render cover for strike forces ingressing and egressing the target area as
well as provide the first line of defense for Search and Rescue (SAR)
forces orbiting close to the North Vietnam border in northern Laos. Flying
aircraft 3 in this flight was Major Edward D. Cherry and Capt. Jeffrey S.
Feinstein, with his wing, aircraft 4, flown by Capt. Crane and Capt.
Lachman. Major Cherry recounts the events of this mission as follows:

     "Olmsted had
made contact with at least two MiGs on his radar and was leading the
flight to the MiGs. He obtained visual contact with two MiG-21s and called
them to us. The MiG-21s passed overhead and Olmsted started a right turn
to engage them. 
     "While in the right turn, our wingman obtained
a visual contact with a third MiG-21 and called for us to roll out and
turn left. The MiG flew into a cloud layer but we were in hot pursuit.
Shortly after breaking through the cloud layer I obtained visual contact
with the MiG-21 at 12 o’clock high, in a right, climbing turn. I
maneuvered my aircraft into firing position and  . . . .